Noob question about desktop environments

[hedgeborn]

If I am running Ubuntu, does this mean that I am limited to running applications that are designed for the Gnome desktop?

I've seen lots of interesting looking "K" apps but I'm guessing they are not compatible with my machine unless I choose to install Kubuntu instead? Is this correct?

I'm new to Linux so I apologize for my ignorance about these simple things, but the whole desktop environments thing has me a bit confused.

Why does Gnome seem to the predominant choice in most cases? From what I've seen KDE seems to have a little more interesting apps and a slicker looking GUI.

Any advice or guidance is appreciated.

[gnuvistawouldbecool]

Any KDE application will run in GNOME. If you choose to install one, there will be a few dependencies to satisfy, but once those are installed the application will run.

GNOME seems to be more popular here, but I'm not sure why.

I would personally say KDE is better, but I use GNOME most of the time since it tends to need less resources on my computer.

[Tibuda]

Don't worry you can run both kind of applications in both desktop environments. Gnome is predominant because it is the default Ubuntu environment. I prefer Gnome because I think it is more intuitive to use everyday, and it is possible to make it looks as beautiful as KDE if you customize it. That's a personal preference. Use what works for you.